Little Leaguers Learn Life’s Lessons

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The ball bounced off Ashton White’s glove and rolled behind him into center field.

Francisco de Isla sprinted into the arms of bouncing teammates at home plate.

And here came the South Mission Viejo moms.

Rushing to the chicken wire behind their dugout. Holding back giant sobs to shout at their little boys.

In this most impossible of moments, it was the most improbable of cheers.

“We’re! So! Proud of You! Say. We’re So Proud of You.”

It did not work. The 12-year-olds did not listen to their mothers.

White collapsed in center field, burying his face in his hands.

Adam Sorgi froze between second and third base, his once-brave expression wet with tears.

Some threw caps, others kicked dirt, nearly all stared with reddening eyes at a scoreboard that showed how Mexico had scored four times in its final at-bat to steal away the Little League world title with a 5-4 victory.

And still the South Mission Viejo moms chanted.

“We’re! So! Proud of You! Say. We’re So Proud of You.”

On a breezy afternoon in Pennsylvania’s White Deer Mountains, 13 kids from a pocket of Orange County were moments from learning about being champions.

They instead had to settle for learning about life. An uneven swap if there ever was one.

“I had fun . . . for the first five innings,” said Nick Moore, the first baseman whose home run helped give South Mission Viejo a 4-1 lead.

But in the bottom of the sixth inning--the final frame in these games--pitcher Gavin Fabian hit the first batter on the shoulder and walked the second one.

After throwing two balls to Gabriel Alvarez, Fabian was replaced by Sorgi. Three pitches later, Alvarez hit a home run over the left-field fence to tie the score.

Then de Isla walked, and eventually scored the winning run from second base on Pablo Torres’ single that glanced off the glove of center fielder White.

While the South Mission Viejo players despaired, the Mexican team looked skyward.

“I prayed for this,” Alvarez said as he hurried from the stadium with his family to attend Saturday night Mass. “In the dugout, we all prayed.”

Guadalupe becomes only the third team from Mexico to win a Little League world championship in the tournament’s 50 years.

South Mission Viejo becomes perhaps the only team to lose in such stunning fashion.

It may be also the only team to lose in a championship game . . . and then hear its coach say it deserved to lose.

If their parent’s unconditional support was life lesson No. 1, this was No. 2:

When you fail, not everyone is willing to run to the chicken wire and cheer you.

“Baseball is a tough game, and they got what they deserved today. . . . They deserved to lose this game,” said Manager Jim Gattis.

Got what they deserved?

Gattis said his team pouted after strikeouts, which may have led to silly mistakes and caused his team “to be out of whack.”

Out of whack?

A couple of parents thought the manager might have been out of whack.

“How can you tell kids something like that?” asked Claudia Nieves, mother of outfielder Andrew. “Those kids played their hearts out. How can you say that they didn’t deserve to win?”

Good question.

Which leads to life lesson 3: Allow an adult into a kid’s game, even the ultimate kid’s game, and he will find a way to muck it up.

As unbelievable as it may sound, Saturday’s Little League championship was actually for Little Leaguers.

Ignore the memories of obscene TV coverage that included major-league analysis of seventh-graders, and come with us a moment to the actual event at Lamade Stadium. Where the 37,400 fans that filled the bleachers and surrounding hills did not pay a penny to be here--because admission is free.

Where the concession stands are more like large sandlot snack bars, selling such sandlot delicacies as licorice and cheese doodles.

Where the squads paraded on to the field accompanied by the song, “It’s a Small World.”

Where players from the Mexican team did the “YMCA” dance in the outfield during warmups.

Where players from the South Mission Viejo team mimicked their slow-running teammates during introductions.

And where everyone cheered the umpires.

Among other things, the South Mission Viejo team had prepped for this day by playing whiffle ball games in the dormitory bathrooms.

The moms were just thrilled they had bathed, something the boys superstitiously refused to do for four days during regional qualifying.

“I told him, ‘This week, you will use soap,’ ” said Marel Fabian, mother of the starting pitcher.

Mike Moore, father of first baseman Nick, earlier asked his son if he needed anything to help him through this pressure-packed week.

“Comic books, Dad,” he said. “Can you buy me some new comic books?”

Then came Saturday’s sixth inning, and life lesson 4: Failure can be a more important memory than success.

As Ashton White finally climbed to his feet and ran off the field, still crying and shaking his cap, his father stared dispassionately from behind the chicken wire, even filming some of the carnage.

That father? Charles White, former Heisman Trophy-winning running back.

“Hang in there, Ash,” he said quietly.

Later, Charles said, “Today, my son learned what it is like to lose. He learned that feeling. He will know that he never wants to feel it again.”

But then there was lesson 5. Taylor Bennett, a utility player, thinks this may have been the most important lesson of all.

Autographs are cooler when somebody is asking for yours.

Thirty minutes after the game, as hugs were still lingering and eyes were still drying, Bennett was bright and busy as he signed balls for his new fans.

“Get over it?” Taylor said as two young girls stared at him and giggled. “Hey, I’m over it already.”